Auburn University head football coach Bryan Harsin faced a barrage of accusations aimed at his program this past offseason.

Shortly after posting a 6-7 record in his first season at the Plains, Harsin found himself at the center of a university-sanctioned inquiry into the stability of the football program.

Among the litany of allegations thrown at the head coach were charges of mistreatment levied by former players. The claims circulated as the program experienced an exodus of coaches and on-the-field talent following the season’s end.

However, no consensus was built concerning the narrative as Harsin received substantial public support from current and past players celebrating his leadership style.

The 10-day inquiry ended with then-AU president Jay Gogue affirming that “substantial misinformation” and “wild speculation” was fueled by unverified social media claims.

While the university’s investigation found no wrongdoing, Harsin said that the grueling nature of the inquiry proved challenging for the 45-year-old head coach and his family.

Harsin provided a glimpse into his offseason experience Thursday on day four of the 2022 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Media Days at the College Football Hall of Fame and Omni Hotel in Atlanta.

Without being prompted, Harsin took it upon himself to address the “gorilla” in the room. The AU head coach said the challenge presented a “silver lining” in that it allowed for players and staff alike to display leadership qualities during difficult circumstances.

“There was an inquiry. It was uncomfortable; it was unfounded. And it presented an opportunity for people to personally attack me, my family and also our program. And it didn’t work,” said a defiant Harsin. “So right now, our focus is on moving forward. What came out of that inquiry were a lot of positives. There was a silver lining in all this because what I saw from our players and our coaches was leadership opportunities for them to step up, which is exactly what they did.”

Bryan Harsin SEC Media Days 2022 #SECMD22 Auburn Main Room

Full video: https://t.co/5iaEGlTEKs pic.twitter.com/Nu61hmqYFy

— that SEC podcast (@thatSECpodcast) July 21, 2022

According to Harsin, the adversity served to unite the Tigers football program.

“And you got a chance to see guys provide leadership; you got a chance to see coaches provide leadership,” he continued. “And what it did is it united our football team. It united our players. It united our staff. It united our football team. So I’m really proud of our guys, and I’m proud of what something like that that could be very challenging and difficult for a lot of people, how our guys stepped up and handled it. And we had coaches and players that could have went on and went to other places, avoided all the adversity and challenges and everything that came with it. They didn’t do that.”

Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL